This invention relates generally to electronic guides and particularly to electronic television guides, such as television program schedule guides. This invention also relates to the indexing of an electronic guide with video and/or information clips.
Previews of upcoming movies or television programs are commonly shown to generate interest in them. One technique is to show clips of the video before or after the full presentation of another program. This is done both for television programs or movies to be shown on television. Increasingly common is the inclusion of video clips of other movies on a rented video cassette tape. The renter of the video cassette tape rents the tape to watch a particular movie, but also can watch the previews, which are put onto the otherwise unused tape in the video cassette. A problem with this conventional technique is that the viewer must watch the entire tape to ascertain which previews are present.
Also increasingly common is the video cassette tape with infomercials. Usually, only one infomercial is put on a tape, for example a Plymouth Voyager advertisement, and the tape is mailed out to potential buyers. If more infomercials or advertisements are on the tape then the user must watch the entire tape to see all the advertisements. Even if a table of contents is provided at the beginning of the tape, there is no easy method of advancing the tape to the location of the selected advertisement. Another disadvantage of video cassette tapes with infomercials is that there is a significant recording, packaging and mailing expense with a large distribution.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for apparatus and methods for an electronic guide with video and/or information clips and apparatus and methods for providing an index and automatic advancement of a tape to a selected video and/or information clip. There is also a need for apparatus and methods for receiving and recording an electronic guide with video and/or information clips that has been broadcast.